Apparatus for firing guns



March 22, 1966 P. ZEHFELD ET AL 3,241,445

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APPARATUS FOR FIRING GUNS Filed Dec. 8, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

lm nfars Pa 1/ Z Z 8;!- e 2 a1 K/ZEgOn I (157753671 52% a zwiyw March 22, 1966 P. ZEHFELD ET AL APPARATUS FOR FIRING GUNS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. 8, 1964 ehfc 2d KarZ- E5077 (72172619 7; 5y W m rm 1/ fora P1112 Z en United States Patent 3,241,445 APPARATUS FOR FIRING GUNS Paul Zehfeld and Karl-Egon Janssen, Dusseldorf, Germany, assignors to Firma Rheinmetall G.m.h.H.,

Dusseldorf, Germany Filed Dec. 8, 1964, Ser. No. 416,759 Claims priority, application Germany, Dec. 12, 1963, R 36,773 4 Claims. ((31. 89-28) Known arrangements for firing guns by means of strikers include those in which a mechanically-cocked striker is released on firing by means of an electromagnet which renders a locking device inoperative, the latter normally retaining the striker in its cocked position. The striker is thus released and moves forward under the action of a striker spring and fires the shell.

The armature of the electromagnet is connected to the locking device by means of a complicated linkage, which consists of a series of levers with bearings and transmission rods with the result that this kind of firing apparatus is very cumbersome and prone to trouble.

The object of the invention is to avoid that drawback and to provide an electromagnetic firing apparatus which is of very simple design and is not prone to trouble. Furthermore, it is intended to rnake the firing apparatus safe in simple manner and to permit manual operation if there is a current failure.

The invention provides a striker in the form of the movable armature of an electromagnet whose coil is concentric with the armature, the latter also being adapted to be actuated optionally either electromagnetically by energising the coil of the electromagnet or mechanically.

Advantageously the striker is coupled by way of a return spring with a striking sleeve slidably arranged in the breech block of the gun, there being provided on the armature and the striker a lug or the like by means of which the striker can be withdrawn from the coil of the electromagnet by means of a cocking spindle against a striker spring for the purpose of manual actuation.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a side view, partly in section, of a breech block slidable transversely of the axis of the bore of the gun barrel,

FIG. 2 is a cross-section on lines IIII of FIG. 4, and,

FIGS. 3-6 are sections respectively on the lines IIIIII (FIG. 4), IVIV (FIG. 1) and VI-VI (FIG. 5) and also a view in the direction of arrow V (FIG. l).

The breech block 1 shown in FIG. 1 is slidable in the direction of arrow A transversely of the axis of the bore in a breech plate (not shown) of a gun barrel. An opening lever 2 shown in chain-dotted lines serves in known manner to open and close the gun breech, the opening lever being mounted in the breech plate. A striker 3 is secured axially to the armature 4 of an electromagnet and is guided slidably in the housing 5 of the coil 6 of the electromagnet and which is arranged in a bore in the breech block. The striker 3 extends axially through the armature 4 and projects from the armature in the firing direction and also in the opposite direction. The front end of the striker, the striker tip 23, is guided in an anvil 7. The anvil is mounted in a plate 8 fixed in the breech block and is of conical form externally and projects into the coil 6. There is a corresponding conical recess in the armature 4. In this way there is obtained, on the one hand, very satisfactory guidance of the striker 3 and, on the other hand, a large pole surface on the armature 4, whereby a powerful magnetic field can build up.

In a bore 9 which is coaxial with the armature 4 and which is located in the rear of the breech block, there is Patented Mar. 22, 1966 "ice slidably mounted a striker sleeve 10 bearing at its forward end against a shoulder 11 of the bore. The striker sleeve 10 is wedged or gripped between shoulder 10 and a counter-bearing 13 by means of a striker spring 12. The counter-bearing is provided by a cover or disc and is removably engaged in the breech block. The rear end of the striker 3 extends through the armature 4 and is coupled to the striker sleeve by a return spring 14. To this end, the sleeve has a shoulder 15 between which and a disc 16 mounted on the end of the striker 3 the return spring 14 is located. In this way, the armature 4 and the striker sleeve 10 rest one against the other when in an inoperative state. The construction just described is of minimum overall length and occupies a very small space because the rear end of the armature 4 projects into the striker sleeve 10.

One pole of the coil is earthed at 17, while the other pole is connected to a contact ring 18.

Electromagnetic firing is effected in the following manner. By actuating a firing button which, for example, may be provided in known manner on the handwheel of the laying gear, an electrical connection is established between the pole ring 18 of the magnet coil and a source of current, for instance a storage battery, by way of a contact bar 19, a sliding contact 20, a lead 21 and a contact pin 22 (see FIG. 6). An electromagnetic field is thereby produced by the coil 6, which draws the armature 4 into the coil, and the tip 23 of the striker 3 mounted in the armature is projected through hole 24 and pieroes the primer (not shown) of a shell in the breech of the gun. During this process the return spring 14 is compressed, so that after the shot has been fired the striker is brought back by the return spring into its initial or inoperative position as shown in FIG. 1.

The following parts are provided for manual operation of the striker and for making the apparatus safe. Firing is effected by means of a cocking and firing spindle 25 mounted in the breech block and which can :be actuated by way of a lever 26 fixed to it by pulling a lanyard 27 which is removably attached by means of a hook 35 to a knob 36 on the lever 26. To this end, a locking pin 37 slidable in the knob 36 is drawn out of its locking bore 39 in the breech block by means of a cap 38 and against a biassing spring and the hook is attached to the knob. The locking pin then remains disengaged, since the cap is locked by the hook. When the lanyard is pulled, the firing spindle 25 is rotated. A lug 28 (FIG. 2) is formed at the rear end of the armature and extends through a slot-shaped aperture in the wall of the striking sleeve 10 into the range of section of a cam 29 mounted on the firing shaft 25 (see FIGS. 2 and 4). When the firing spindle is turned by pulling on the lanyard, the cam 29 engages the lug 28, the armature is withdrawn from the coil and the striker spring 12 is comperssed. On further rotation of shaft 25, the cam 29 slides over the lug 28 and the striker sleeve together with the armature and the striker are released and returned by the compressed striker spring. While the striker sleeve comes to rest on the shoulder 11, the armature continues to move because of the kinetic energy imparted to it, so that, as in the case of electromagnetic firing. the tip of the striker projects from the hole 24 to pierce the primer. The armature and the striker are then returned to their initial position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 by the return spring 14.

Return of the firing spindle 25 is effected by way of a loading spring 30 and a pin 31. The pin 31 is so arranged transversely of the firing spindle in a corresponding bore in the breech block that a shoulder 32 formed in the pin by a milled recess is in engagement with a shoulder 33 produced in the same Way in the firing spindle. When the firing spindle is turned, the shoulder 33 presses against the shoulder 32 of the pin and the latter is shifted against the force of the loading spring 30, the end 34 of the pin emerging from the breech block 1. Protection against premature firing is provided at the same time in this way. As will be seen from FIG. 1, if the breech were not fully closed and locked, the opening lever 2 would prevent the end 34 of the pin emerging, since it would at least partly overlap the end face of the pin. After firing, the loading spring 30 pushes the pin 31 back again, the firing spindle 25 being likewise turned back into its initial position again by way of the shoulders 32 and 33. In this process, the back of the cam 29 strikes against the lug 28 of the armature, so that the latter can give way towards the coil 6 and is then carried back by the return spring 14 into the position shown in FIG. 2. It should also be observed that normally, i.e. in the case of electromagnetic firing, the lanyard is not attached to the knob 36, so that the pin 37 engages in the locking bore 39. In this position, a marking Fire provided on the breech block and visible in a cutout 40 in the lever 26 indicates that the apparatus is not safe (see FIG. 5).

For protection against unintentional operation of the firing apparatus, the locking pin 37 is disengaged by means of the cap 38 and the lever 26 is pivoted until the locking pin engages in the locking bore 41. In this position, the marking Safe is visible through the cutout in the lever. The pivotal movement of the lever 26 also turns the firing spindle and the armature is drawn back somewhat by the cam 29 and retained in this position. In this way, the striker is locked, so that even electromagnetic firing is impossible.

Moreover, opening of the sliding wedge-type breech block in the safe position is impossible, since the pin 34 projects from the breech and prevents the lever 2 turning.

What we claim is:

1. Apparatus for firing guns comprising in combination, a breech block in which is mounted an electromagnet comprising an energising coil and a movable armature disposed concentrically with respect to said coil, a striker forming part of said armature, a striker sleeve slidably mounted in said breech block, a striker return spring coupling said striker sleeve to said striker for returning said striker to an initial inoperative position after operation, and a mechanism for operating said striker mechanically in the event that mechanical operation is desired.

2. Apparatus for firing guns comprising in combination, a breech block, an electromagnet comprising an energising coil mounted in said breech block and a movable armature disposed concentrically with respect to said coil, a striker mounted on said armature, a striker return spring, a striker sleeve coupled to said striker by said striker return spring, a bore in said breech block coaxial with said armature in which said striker sleeve is movably mounted, an abutment in said bore for limiting movement of said striker sleeve in one direction, a counter-bearing in said bore, a striker spring located between said counter-bearing and said striker sleeve for urging the latter into contact with said abutment, and a mechanism for operating said striker mechanically in the event that mechanical operation is desired.

3. Apparatus for firing guns comprising in combination a breech block, an electromagnet comprising an energising mounted in said breech block and a movable armature disposed concentrically with respect to said coil, a striker slidably mounted in said armature, a striker sleeve nested on part of said armature, a striker return spring coupling said striker to said striker sleeve, and a mechanism for operating said striker mechanically in the event that mechanical operation is desired.

4. Apparatus for firing guns comprising in combination a breech block, an electromagnet comprising an energising coil mounted in said breech block and an armature slidably mounted in a bore in said coil. a striker carried by said armature and slidable relatively thereto, a bore in said breech block coaxial with said armature, a striker sleeve slidably mounted in said bore in said breech block, said sleeve being nested with part of said armature, a striker return spring coupling said striker to said striker sleeve, an abutment in said bore in said breech block, a striker spring in said bore in said breech block for urging said striker sleeve into contact with said abutment, a lug on said armature, and a cocking spindle rotatably mounted in said breech block for withdrawing said armature and said striker from said coil against said striker spring and then releasing said armature and said striker.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,388,489 11/1945 Markey 89135 3,095,781 7/1963 Bartels 8927 BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner.

FRED C. MATTERN, JR., Examiner. 

1.APPARATUS FOR FIRING GUNS COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, A BREECH BLOCK IN WHCIH IS MOUNTED AN ELECTROMAGNET COMPRISING AN ENERGIZING COIL AND A MOVABLE ARMATURE DISPOSED CONCENTRICALLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID COIL, A STRIKER FORMING PART OFSAID ARMATURE, A STRIKER SLEEVE SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN SAID BREECH BLOCK, A STRIKER RETURN SPRING COUPLING SAID STRIKER SLEEVE TO SAID STRIKER FOR RETURNING SAID STRIKER TO AN INITIAL INOPERATIVE POSITION AFTER OPERATION, AND A MECHANISM FOR OPERATING SAID STRIKER MECHANICALLY IN THE EVENT THAT MECHANICAL OPERATION IS DESIRED. 